


pillars of stone

by Aetheri



Category: RWBY
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Post-Volume 5 Episode 8 (RWBY), Sibling Bonding, a tiny bit of bumbleby, much yangst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-12 23:34:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12970851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aetheri/pseuds/Aetheri
Summary: After that talk with Weiss, Yang can't bring herself to sleep. Ruby comes in with something to help.





	pillars of stone

The night settled over her like the tides of sea. Yang lay on her bed, staring dully at the wall. Speaking with Weiss left her drifting in the clouds, and she felt a sense of calm… and numbness, wash over her. It made tonight less painful, but it was lonely nonetheless.

She used to hate the dark for it. It blinded her and wrapped her in a blanket of cold on her worst nights. It was nothingness. It was Grimm. It was the color of death.

Blake changed it all for her. The sight of black hair sent her heart soaring to the skies. The nights felt warm when she spent it with Blake under the stars. The dark became less unbearable. Less lonely, less empty.

It was her color.

Yang bit her lips, fighting against the tears; she said she wouldn’t cry tonight. 

Behind her, the door creaked open.

Surprised, Yang raised her head and peered from her shoulder.

“Ruby,” Yang said, and she hated the way her voice croaked.

Ruby smiled, but Yang knew she was only putting on a front. They didn’t have that little crinkle folding under her eyes. It filled Yang’s heart with anger. She didn’t want Ruby to see her like this. Yang looked away, dropping her head back onto the pillow with her teeth clenched.

When they were young, Ruby was no taller than Yang’s waist.

She remembered the way her little hands clutched her shirt, hiding behind Yang like she was the haven in a world so big, and so cold. Yang understood. Nothing felt as warm as being wrapped in Summer’s cloak. When she was gone, so was a part of their home. It was up to Yang to keep Ruby safe, so Yang let her arms become her sword and her shield, just like the heroes in their stories.

Pretending like this, she found a way to soothe the hurt in her chest, too. The years became kinder. She became stronger, and she took the brunt of fights head on for people. Everyone saw her as a fortress, and in time, she believed it herself.

But no one ever told her that even fortresses fell.

The bed shifted under the weight. Yang felt Ruby rest her back against her, the edges of her cloak spilling over Yang. 

“Hi Yang,” Ruby said softly. “Sorry, it’s pretty late, huh. Did I wake you up?”

“Nah,” Yang replied.

Yang didn’t need to look to know Ruby was fiddling with her fingers. Ruby was nervous. With a breath, Yang turned to face her.

“What’s up?” Yang asked with a small smile.

Ruby opened her mouth, and closed it shortly after. She fumbled for something, and Yang saw a book brought into view.

“Wow, that’s a throwback. You want me to read you a book, Rubes?” Yang grinned, her heart lifting a little.

“Nope. It’s not for me.”

Yang blinked. She stared at the book, questioning.

“Okay, so... who’s it for?”

Ruby clutched the book against her chest, looking at Yang from the hood of her lashes.

“Can I read to you?” she asked shyly.

It took her a moment for her tired brain to process. She hadn’t been read to in a long, long time. She remembered Summer during those nights Yang curled up in bed, thinking about the woman who left her and her dad, and Summer would come into her room with hot chocolate and a book in hand. She would read to her and pet her hair until she fell asleep. Stories made her happy, but Summer’s voice filled her heart with sunshine.

Yang felt her tears burn for an entirely different reason tonight. 

“Yeah,” Yang said softly, wiping the edge of her eyes. She shifted so that her body wouldn’t ache resting on her metal arm. “Yeah.”

Ruby smiled. Her hand squeezed Yang’s, and she kept it there. 

“Okay,” Ruby said. “It’s called the Queen of Stone.”

Yang knew that title. She read it to Ruby once and did what Summer couldn’t do any longer. It brought a smile on her face, knowing Ruby kept the book still.

“Mhm.” Yang closed her eyes and listened to the pages turn. 

“Mila sat on her throne of stone, where she was given view of a nearly finished city. The sun shone above it, and she looked at it longingly. It guided her towards rivers when she needed water, grew her crops when she needed food, gave her warmth when she suffered in the cold. It stood by her side, never leaving, as she built her city.”

Yang didn’t remember that passage, nor the story beginning that way. Maybe Ruby skipped a few chapters. She continued listening.

“She wanted to reach it. She wanted to reach the sun and give to it the way it gave to her. ‘How will I ever climb such heights?’ Mila wondered. She sat on her throne of stone, and she lamented until the sun went away. Too late again, Mila thought. Maybe she will have an idea once the sun returns.

“But the sun never arrived, come morning. Nor the afternoon. Nor evening. For days, she waited, and the sun never came. Mila sat on her throne of stone, head bowed to her legs in misery. The sun has left her, she thought. She never gave back to the sun, and so it deemed her ungrateful and,” Ruby paused, swallowing her throat, “and childish. Mila fell into despair, and her city fell with her. There was no light anymore.”

Yang raised herself up on one arm, reaching out to her sister. “Ruby—”

“But,” Ruby continued, “she remembered something. Even when she didn’t want the sun, the sun remained by her side, watching from a distance. The sun never gave up, on her or her city; her dreams of creating a safe place for the innocent.”

Yang lowered her arm, and eventually, she rested her back against the bed frame, watching Ruby.

“Mila took stone, wherever she could find. She smashed her throne of stone, took her city apart, and built a stairwell out of them all. Day and night, she worked without her sun, and she thought of all the things she would say. When she finished, she climbed the stairs to heaven. 

“She saw light. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming. The sun was big, bright, and stronger than ever. The sun embraced her, wrapped her up in its warmth, and she knew, then, she was home. Mila pulled back to take in the sun’s beauty, but when she looked, all she saw was a sad girl. 

‘What’s wrong?’ Mila asked.

‘My moon,’ the sun replied. ‘She’s not with me.’ “

Hitching her breath, Yang clutched at the blankets. She was caught between stopping and letting Ruby continue. 

“ ‘I will find her,’ Mila said. ‘We will find her, together, if you want my help.’ The sun looked at her with doubt in its eyes, and it…” Ruby trailed off, and she lifted her head, looking at Yang at last. “It… what does the sun want?”

They looked at each other, their eyes brimming with tears.

“I want your help,” Yang choked out the words. “I want to find her, too.”

She pulled Ruby into her arms, holding her tightly. 

“I’m sorry,” Ruby said quietly, burying her face into Yang’s shoulder. “I don’t know how else to help you.”

Yang shook her head. “You’re fine, Ruby.” She pressed a kiss to her head. “If we ever have time, after all this, we’ll search for Blake.”

“Yeah. I miss her,” Ruby squeezed harder. “So much.”

They hugged, letting the moon envelop them in its gentle light until their tears dried. Ruby smiled sheepishly at Yang and went to close the book she never read, but Yang grabbed it before Ruby could place it on the nightstand. 

“Let me read to you,” Yang smiled. “For real, this time.” 

Ruby blinked, staring with disbelief.

“You want to?” she asked.

Yang nodded, and she patted on the empty spot next to her. “You’re all grown up, but I still wanna read you bedtime stories sometimes, okay?” She needed this as much as Ruby did.

Ruby laughed—and snorted—taking her place next to Yang in the bed. 

“Yeah. Guess some things will never change.”

Yang cracked the book open, and Ruby shifted until she found a comfortable position, closing her eyes. 

On that night, Yang read until they fell asleep. Their heads rested on one another like twin pillars of stone, finding support in each other even after their ruin.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, thank you so much for reading this!
> 
> The talk Yang had with Weiss was so good, like it made my heart physically ache watching them bear themselves open like that. It was a beautifully vulnerable moment. However, it did feel unsatisfying seeing so little of Ruby, because Yang is her sister and Blake is her teammate. Yang tends to put up a strong front for Ruby especially, but I think it's alright for her to rely on her little sister from time to time.
> 
> So I tried to write it. Ruby trying to comfort Yang in her own Ruby-like way.
> 
> I don't write drabbles, or any sort of long fiction often, so this might seem a little awkward. Feedback would be much appreciated!


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